It is often desirable to provide a sterile environment by killing any germs or bacteria which may be airborne or present on exposed surfaces. For example, parents may wish to sterilize their baby's bedroom so as to reduce the risk of their baby possibly being exposed to any germs or bacteria and consequently catching a cold. One germicidal lamp which performs such a function is disclosed in my copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 935,794, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,786,812, dated Nov. 22, 1988, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. It comprises a single housing containing a plurality of ultraviolet light bulbs, together with a fan unit. The bulbs and fan operate simultaneously, with the fan causing germs or bacteria to be drawn into the housing, via air currents, where they are then killed by the light waves emitted by the ultraviolet bulbs. When a room is to be sterilized, the lamp, including both the bulbs and fan unit, is first swept over various exposed surfaces. Once those surfaces have been sterilized, the lamp is then left in a stationary position in a region of the room so that the air may also be sterilized. This germicidal lamp has been found to be effective in killing any germs or bacteria which are drawn into the lamp and come in contact with the light waves emitted by the bulbs.
One disadvantage associated with using such a germicidal lamp is that because both the bulbs and fan are contained within the same housing, their combined weights make the lamp somewhat unmanageable and unwieldy, when used in a hand-held sweeping mode.
Another disadvantage, directly related to the above mentioned one, is that in order to accommodate the weight of both the bulbs and fan, the housing must be made of a very sturdy, and consequently costly, material.
Finally, due to the design of the lamp and placement of the bulbs therein, sterilization of the air drawn through the unit is less than ideal. Both the intensity and time of exposure to the ultraviolet light waves are not at a maximum, and this somewhat detracts from the effectiveness with which germs or bacteria may be killed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a more lightweight and portable germicidal lamp with improved hand-held mobility, when used to sterilize exposed surfaces.
Another object of the invention is to provide a germicidal lamp having a structure which will enable the ultraviolet light to come in closer and longer contact with air being drawn through the unit and targeted for sterilization.
Another object of the invention is to provide a lamp capable of sterilizing air and/or exposed surfaces in two separate modes.
Another object of the invention is to provide a germicidal lamp which, because of its design, is less costly to manufacture and therefore more affordable for home or office use.